3 teens arrested for cemetery vandalism

ST. BERNARD, OH (FOX19) -- Three teens have been arrested by St. Bernard Police following a string of vandalism at local cemeteries.

Police say the suspects, a 15-year-old and two 16-year-olds, had been trespassing in the cemetery lighting gas cans over the last several nights and on Aug. 10, the desecrated an estimated 180 monuments at St. Mary's Cemetery by toppling them over.

On Aug. 11, police say the suspects desecrated another 66 monuments in St. John's Cemetery, then returned to St. Mary's when they were stopped and arrested.

Investigator Mike Matheson with the St. Bernard Police Department says police staked out the cemetery with night vision equipment, and that's how they caught the vandals.

Matheson said the juveniles said they did the crimes because they were bored.

"What I think this was is some kids who felt like they didn't have anything better to do and let themselves lose control and they took it to an extreme that, quite frankly, has a tremendous impact on the community," said Matheson.

The suspects' names have not been released because they are under 18. They are charged with criminal trespassing, desecrating a grave site, criminal mischief and vandalism.

A Butler County woman has been researching a discovered diary that belonged to a late marine and is now making it her mission to get the piece of history back into the hands of the World War II veteran's family.

A Butler County woman has been researching a discovered diary that belonged to a late marine and is now making it her mission to get the piece of history back into the hands of the World War II veteran's family.